South Africa farmer guilty in white supremacist's murder

Ventersdorp, South Africa:  A court found a black farmworker guilty yesterday of murdering a white supremacist in rural South Africa. A younger farmworker was acquitted of murder, but found guilty on other charges.

The two black farmworkers were accused of beating 69-year-old Eugene Terreblanche to death with an iron rod in April 2010.

Protesters scuffled outside the courthouse where the verdict was read yesterday. Scores of white protesters gathered in support of Terreblanche's family facing off against a larger crowd of black supporters of the accused. But the tensions did not explode into broader violence, and the crowd showed little reaction to the verdict.

Police have described Terreblanche's murder as the climax of an alcohol-fuelled dispute over unpaid wages. But during the trial, defence lawyers alleged the farmworkers had been abused by Terreblanche and acted in self-defence.

Allegations

Terreblanche had been jailed in 1997 and sentenced to six years for the attempted murder of a black security guard and assaulting a black gas station worker.

Prosecutors rejected allegations that Chris Mahlangu, who was found guilty of murder, had been sexually abused by Terreblanche.

The younger suspect, Patrick Ndlovu, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of breaking and entering with intent to steal.